Except for
by Dear Aunt Elladora
Summary: Poppy Pomfrey visits Minevra for tea one night, and the bickering Head Boy&Girl are discussed. [Blackfic time period, Andromeda&Ted Tonks, foreshadowing]


A high-pitched scream ripped through the calm, quiet air of Minevra McGonagall's study. Poppy Pomfrey, who had stopped by that evening for a spot of tea, looked rather alarmingly toward Minevra, who managed to have turned a deaf ear to the noise.

"Oh, Poppy." Minevra sighed, sitting down across the woman, her tea set in a complacent hand, "It's just Andromeda."

"Shouldn't we do something, though?" The wholesome woman questioned, concern for the girl etched on her face.

Minevra would have rolled her eyes if she didn't think that was an inanely uncivil thing to do, but rather she sighed once more. "No, no. The Head dormitories are just above us, correct? Yes, well, Misses Black seems to have one of those outbursts at least once a night. Sometimes even twice."

"Why?" Concern was yet to fall from Pomfrey's face, despite Minevra's cool reactions.

"Come on, Poppy: you know how they bicker in the halls. Imagine them sharing the close quarters of Head Boy and Girl."

Comprehension dawned on the nurse's face, "Poor you, having to listen to that," she clucked sympathetically.

"Yes, well you can get quite immune to it," both took a sip of their respective teas.

"Never understood what Dumbledore was thinking, placing them as heads."

McGonagall pursed her lips, never one to insult a coworker, "It was the first decision he made on his complete own. But Albus seemed unusually _bent _on having Theodore and Misses Black as Head Boy and Girl. And there is no arguing with Albus when he gets that glint in his eye, he afterall, is the headmaster."

"Putting a Slytherin in one of the spots is risky," Pomfrey tsked, "_especially _in these days, with what's all going on. And the eldest Black sister, no doubt!"

"Would you not agree that Andromeda is quite bright, nearly fitting the position to a tee?"

"Yes, oh of course, ambitious and smart as a whip, always doing her work in tip top precision. She's neat and pulled together nicely, organized and can handle stress. But if you don't mind me saying, a little naive."

"Naive?" McGonagall questioned, slightly apalled, "How do you mean?"

Pomfrey's expression shifted into a darker one as she readjusted in her seat. "Being all blood concerned, as she is, one day she'll learn that pure blood is not the way to measure a man."

"May that be true," McGonagall's lips pursed, "I would never think a _Black _to be naive in any way, the things she's been through are only fractions of nightmares in my mind."

"I-I see your point." Pomfrey was a bit flustered, Minevra's cold logic could do that to people.

"And Mister Tonks, you think he was not a good choice?"

"Oh, Theodore!" Pomfrey brightened, "Why, of course. He's well on in his studies - second in his year, I'd assume- keeps a fair head in decisions, mature enough, but with a sense of humor. And treats everyone as his equal."

"Except for Miss Black," McGonagall interjected.

"Yes, of course. I see the reasoning behind the desicion, both are of a high caliber, and very fitting to the position. But, Minevra, they cannot seem to sit within twenty feet of each other without hurling insults."

"I perhaps," McGonagall was interrupted by another frustrated scream that caused both to eye to celieng with caution, "know best of all. But you know Albus, there must be something he saw that he felt needed to be adressed."

"You don't think he thought they'd actually _get along_, being placed so close?"

McGonagall's face showed a slight amusement, "I know Albus is much more brilliant than that. The day Andromeda Black and Ted Tonks are able to coexist will be the day we allow Alastor Moody onto the faculty."

Pomfrey smiled, and returned to her tea. The ladies chit-chatted about various subjects at hand throughout the community, whilst being occasionally interrupted by Andromeda the floor above.

* * *

**Author's note: **yay, Tonkserella et Andro! Have I mentioned how insanely happy this pairing makes me? Anyway, set way back in the day when Meda and Tonks were in yearseven, and bickering per usual. Set in the fall, as well, because sometimes I like to pretend "Yuletide Cheers" happened the Christmas of this discussion. That didn't make much sense. Ahh, anyway... I imagine the professors to live inside the castle, because that is ... the way that works in my mind. And I never really got the impression McG liked Moody much, so that was the last line.. yep. Let's hear it for the love/hate....

_Review, please!_


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